Ask Yourself: What is the End Game?

A question has been bouncing around in my head quite frequently over the past couple of weeks. It started when I had coffee with my friend Heather. We were discussing work, and in talking about things others were doing, this question came up: “What is the end game?”

Which made me think: What is my end game? What is it that I'm seeking when I feel FOMO or go into protective mode or get a crazy idea or take on a project? What am I seeking in trying to decide if I want to travel or relocate or date or grow my company? The end game gets so fuzzy in the day-to-day. We get stuck in the cycle of “I want to meet my workout goals,” or “I really want a vacation,” or “I need to avoid that donut.” These things are so automatic, but we don't really stop to think about the end game. Why are we doing all of these things in the first place?

I suppose asking “what is the end game” is a way to center decision-making. But it can be much more than that. Somehow in my mind, asking this question is a tangible way to vision for the future. Whenever I think of “visioning” exercises, there's an automatic eye roll and the overwhelming feeling that I should be prancing in a field trying to discover the meaning of life. I just can't touch that. Too abstract and woo-woo. But if I think about what I want to experience, see, feel, do, and be – it's much more tangible and I can apply those to everyday decisions. The question “what is the end game” helps me re-focus on what is important, and gives power behind making choices big and small.

Even though it sounds final, the “end game” can always change as we grow. Sometimes things don't work out how we imagined or we might seek something more or different than what we had thought before. And even though the end game seems like it should be painfully obvious, it's totally okay if it isn't. I'm still trying to figure it out. I'm no longer tied to a person or a family or a geographical location – that really changes what you think you want out of life. You can dream bigger or you can dream different, but the point is that you can still dream AND have time to take actions to work on getting there.

There's power in asking the question, and it offers a level of clarity I haven't had in a while.

Do you think about your end game?